Simple Decisions

Chapter 10

Mars's POV

After breakfast, everyone pitched in to clean up. Well more like Momma K told me to 'sit my ass down', and she made them clean. She walked me to the mini bar in the dining room and made us both a drink. With a splash of grenadine and a top off of extra tequila, it seemed to be a tequila sunrise. Gesturing her glass toward mine, we did a cheers motion and indulged in the well-earned cocktail.

"So Marcellé, what do you have planned for your hair? I know you said it would take most of the day before you guys head out tonight."

"Oh it's a simple style, it just takes an arm and a leg to accomplish it. I have to take these faux locs out, scratch my scalp, pretreat it and my hair, wash, and condition, detangle, a hot oil treatment, diffuse, then put it on rods with some heat protectant, and sit under the dryer for a minute before removing the rods to accomplish nothing but my natural curl out. I normally wear my hair that way but in a wash-and-go version. I'd rather not go out in the cold with a wet head tonight, and the rods will keep them a bit more tamed."

"Oh, I wouldn't want you to! I'll be damned if you get sick! Anyway, why does Tae seem so enamored with it?"

"I don't know really. He came into my job one day after not seeing him for over a month, which totally makes sense now, and my hair was different. I had it straightened before he left and he was in love with it. It surprised him that my hair was so long. When he came back, he saw my curls and just kept smiling. He deemed it his favorite from that day on. I think it's because it's not common to see hair texture like mine often here, let alone so much of it." I chuckled, as did Momma K before taking another sip of our drinks.

"If you're not busy today Ma, would you like to help me?"

She stared at me wide-eyed as if it stunned her that I asked. It seemed like she'd say no for a second until she nodded her head furiously with a heartwarming grin.

"Let's do it! Believe it or not, I used to help your mother with her hair when I would visit. She walked me through everything her way of course." I smiled knowing just how particular Momma was about certain things. It just made her, her. I'm a complete carbon copy in all transparency.

"Alright, we can bring these drinks with us and I'll have Lina bring more up. I'll even help you pick out something amazing for tonight. Anything will look good, but I want heads to turn. You are part of a big-name family after all, and your beauty commands respect naturally I feel. Consider this our first girls' day of many!"

"I like the sound of that!"

We leave the mini-bar giggling and it catches the men's attention, but we're too focused on our mission to bother explaining. That is until someone slides in my path with squinted eyes directed at me.

"Cece, we're going to go play basketball in the back. Will you be alright without me?" Channie asks like he's the older one here. It's sweet to see how concerned he is about me. I crouch a bit to kiss his cheek and give him a big smile.

"I'll be fine love. We're going to get started on my hair. When you're finished having fun, you know where to find me. You may just enjoy your time with your big brothers."

"Alright, but keep your phone close. I'll call you if I do stay with these heathens." He pecks my cheek in return and heads out the back door, basketball in hand and a guard on his tail.